Deemo: The World Tree
by noleavemealonefools
Summary: Just a little Deemo story - but twisted


Once upon a time, a little shadow shaped demon called Deemo was playing the piano. He did not know who he was, or what he was. All he knew was that he was in a vast, empty space of darkness. Suddenly, one day, a little girl fell from the sky. The poor little girl was lost, did not know where she was or who she was. So Deemo decided to give her a hand into returning to her home. When Deemo was playing piano one day, the little girl found a violin and started playing accompaniment. This was when the both of them saw that a tree was growing from the piano. Deemo, realizing that if they could get the tree to grow taller, the little girl would be able to go home. So everyday, the pair played music, attempting to make the tree grow higher. In a few days, the tree had grown 5 feet, thanks to their efforts. Suddenly, the girl started to remember things, such as her name, and where she came from. She realized her name was Alice.

"Alice. My name is Alice, Deemo." she said. "I came from the sky. My big brother is missing." Deemo, realizing that Alice was beginning to remember, started to play more songs each day, in an attempt to get her home. When the tree reached 10 feet tall, a mysterious masked woman appeared. She started to interrupt the duo's music practice, and slowly, without Deemo's and Alice's music, the tree began to shrink. Deemo began to realize, the masked woman intended to sabotage his plan for Alice to go home. The duo then began giving their all to the music, playing almost all day each day. They continued this process for about a month. This caused the tree to dramatically shoot up, growing about a feet a day. Soon enough, the tree had grown 31 feet, and the masked woman finally gave up. Alice, on the other hand, had started to suddenly remember many things at once.

"My last name is Yuan, Deemo. I am 13 years old. Big brother's name was Ethan. Big brother liked games. The tree is called World Tree. " Deemo, shocked that she said so much at one time, began to process this information. The information Alice gave him seemed extremely familiar to him. Determined to find out more, he urged Alice to play with him, and the World Tree began to grow taller again. Before they knew it, the World Tree was 60 feet tall - half the height they needed the tree to be. At this time, Alice fainted. When she woke up, the masked woman was back. Deemo, not wanting the masked woman to ruin their work, sent the woman up to the top of the tree. The woman had other plans, though. In the middle of the night, the masked woman began singing a medley, full of sorrow and pain. This caused Alice to faint again. That was when the flashbacks started.

"Ethan, Ethan! Take me to the library!" a girl about 13 years old yelled.

"Alright, just calm down a bit, Alice. You can't possibly go to the library like this, right?" a boy that looked like the girl's older brother said.

"Alright, just promise you'll take me to the library…" the girl pouted

The boy laughed, and said,"Of course I will. It is your 13th birthday, after all." Hearing these words, the girl smiled, and seemed content.

After the girl had calmed down, the siblings happily walked to the library together. Suddenly, as the pair was crossing the street, a car, unable to stop, was heading for them. Realizing this, the older boy quickly pushed the girl onto the sidewalk, and took a direct hit. Gasping, Alice watched the scene in horror. The boy laid lifeless on the ground, and the little girl lost consciousness. Then everything went black. Alice, screaming, woke up from her painful flashback. Then the grief and reality hit her.

"Big brother is dead, Deemo. Big brother died in a car crash. Big brother protected me."she cried. Deemo, seeing the little girl cry, literally felt his heart break. In a desperate attempt to learn more, he urged the girl to continue playing music. However, Alice's music started to sound different. Every note she played was tainted with sorrow, and every note she sang sounded like she was crying. Deemo, noticing the drastic change in Alice, began to worry for her. At this time, the World Tree was ⅞ of the height it needed to be. Wanting to find more answers, he went to the masked women to ask her what she did to Alice.

The masked woman said,"I simply helped her accept reality." Deemo, frustrated with this situation, went to a sobbing Alice to find answers.

Deemo went and asked Alice what exactly happened to her. At this, a sobbing Alice began to tell her story.

"On my 13th birthday, big brother died. As we were crossing the street, a out of control car started racing towards us. Big brother pushed me. The car collided with him. I was sent to the hospital. Big brother died. Ethan died in my place." she sobbed. "Why did I not die, Deemo? Why did I not die instead of him?" Deemo, unable to say anything, held Alice in his arms, trying to comfort her. Then, memories starting hitting him. Memories of a little girl… that looked exactly like Alice. He realized where he was and who he was….. and what he was to Alice.

He was… Alice's older brother. His name was Ethan Yuan. He was with Alice on her 13th birthday. He saved Alice, hoping she would live. Why? Why were they down here in this dark space together? Why was Alice not in the upper world? Did she die? Why was he in this form? The masked woman came down the tree, and realizing that Deemo was extremely confused, fully revealed herself as another part of Alice, the part that accepted his death and wanted to bring him back to the upper world.

"The Alice you see is the other part of her. It is the part of her that has still not accepted you are dead. As a result, with two parts of her body warring with each other, she slipped into a coma. She is still alive, in the real world. Your family believes that Alice is struggling to stay alive." the masked woman said. "Please, Deemo, stay with her. She may lose her mind and sanity once she learns you are dead."

Deemo, after hearing all this, decided what to do. No, he did not have the intention to go back with Alice. He had chosen the risky path, one which he knew he would regret.

Deemo went to find Alice, and told her,"Come. Let us play one last song together." Alice, oblivious to what was really going on, nodded, dried her tears, and stood up. As they played their final song, full with Alice's grief and sorrow, and full with Deemo's bittersweet pain, the World Tree began to grow, for the last time. The other Alice tried to stop their song, but she suddenly dissolved, returning to Alice's body in the world above. As they finished their final song, Deemo's eyes were full of tears.

Deemo followed Alice up the tree and to the top. Alice, still not realizing what was going on, happily skipped up the branches of the World Tree. As they reached the top, they noticed there was a little door with a carving of the World Tree. Alice opened the door, and asked Deemo,"Deemo, will you come to my home? Come to where I used to belong?" At this, Deemo smiled a sad smile. Alice, confused, wondered why Deemo was smiling.

"Alice, that was the last song we will ever play together, and I wish you luck without Ethan in the upper world. You have grown big and strong, and I'm proud of you. I was glad to be your older brother." Deemo said. At this, Alice's eyes widened as she processed the fact that Deemo was her brother.

"Why? Why won't you come home with me?" Alice said as she broke off in sobs.

Deemo smiled again, and said,"Alice, do you know the meaning of the World Tree?" At this, Alice looked at Deemo in confusion. Deemo, guessing she did not know, continued. "The World Tree represents everyone's sorrow from the upper world. The sorrow from our family, and from our friends. They were the fuel for your music, and the fuel for the tree's growth. The World Tree also represented hope, hope that you were still living. Even now, everyone is hoping that you will live. So go. Go to the upper world, and as my last wish, play the piano for me. I will always love you, and when you die, we will be together. I will always watch over you." As he said these words, he gently pushed Alice through the door and into the blinding light. Alice's body began to unmaterialize, and she slowly returned to the other world. She watched in horror as the sight of Deemo began to fade away.

Suddenly, Alice in the real world woke up from her coma. Realizing what happened was real, she began to cry. She no longer had anyone to comfort her. Deemo, in the darkness, began to break down, regretting his choice. He too, had no one to comfort him. However, he had done the best he could, but now was alone in his vast space. The little door had disappeared, and only the World Tree and his piano remained. Deemo knew he did the right thing, and he vowed that he would see Alice again some day. Alice, knowing there was no turning back from her fate, took up the piano in Ethan's memory. She too, vowed that she would him again. With these 2 vows, the siblings set off into the journey fate had set for them, waiting for their paths to cross again.


End file.
